Most recent 30 articles: Sustainable Brands
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Antonioli: Carbon Markets Must Center on Long-Term, Sustainable Development Impacts - Sustainable Brands (Jul 21) |
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Jul 21 · Former Verra CEO David Antonioli believes the carbon market is missing a golden opportunity to design and deploy carbon finance as a powerful transitional tool toward a zero-carbon economy. He outlines his vision in a new, six-part report.
The integrity of the voluntary carbon market (VCM) has been called into question in recent years as awareness has grown of the prevalence of low-quality offset projects - which, at best, exaggerate their claims of removing climate-changing emissions; and at worst, can do more harm than good. Companies are becoming rightfully wary of offsetting, and many opponents believe offsets shouldn’t be a part of meaningful carbon-reduction ... Read more ...
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US’ Outdated Composting Infrastructure Offers Golden Investment Opportunity - Sustainable Brands (Jul 18) |
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Jul 18 · New report from the Composting Consortium provides landscape analysis of existing compost infrastructure, markets and business models; and blended-finance opportunities to scale organics circularity.
As we continue to weather what could be the hottest year on record, enacting immediate, available ways to help mitigate climate change is top of mind for many.
Look no farther than food waste: According to WWF, 6-8 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if we stop wasting food. In the US alone, the production of lost or wasted food generates the equivalent of 32.6 million cars' worth of greenhouse gas emissions. Project Drawdown’s 2020 Review ... Read more ...
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Report: 6 Strategies for Building Nature-Positive, Circular Economy for Europe - Sustainable Brands (Jul 16) |
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Jul 16 · The Ellen MacArthur Foundation outlines six circular strategies to transform Europe’s built environment that will boost economic activity, increase climate resilience, and make cities more vibrant places to live and work.
A new report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation asserts that transforming how European towns and cities are built could unlock massive economic, environmental and social benefits by 2035.
Building Prosperity: Unlocking the potential of a nature-positive, circular economy for Europe calls for the adoption of six circular strategies to transform and optimize Europe’s built environment. This will boost economic activity, increase climate resilience, and ... Read more ...
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Foodtech Innovators Spill the Beans on Climate-Proofing Coffee - Sustainable Brands (Jul 15) |
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Jul 15 · These two startups are fundamentally changing how coffee is produced - by eliminating the need for beans altogether, and repurposing food waste along the way.
The time has come when we can no longer ignore our unhealthy relationship with one of our favorite beverages: Coffee.
According to Oxford University’s Our World in Data, coffee is one of the top-five crops when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. And coffee cultivation requires enormous amounts of land, which contributes to deforestation - approximately one square inch of rainforest is destroyed for every cup of coffee consumed - particularly, in tropical areas where most of the world’s species can be ... Read more ...
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Purdue Researchers Aim to Prevent Wildfires by 'Studying Every Tree’ - Sustainable Brands (Jul 10) |
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Jul 10 · Purdue University’s Institute for Digital Forestry is developing a variety of remote-sensing solutions that can enhance the ability to determine the probability and magnitude of wildfires at a given location.
Wildfires are now an inescapable part of our climate-changing reality: According to the National Interagency Fire Center, since January 1, 2024, 23,405 wildfires have burned 2,817,728 acres across the United States alone; as of July 9, 69 large, active wildfires - which have so far burned 612,376 acres - are currently being managed nationwide.
Land managers and governments worldwide are fighting against decades-long wildfire increases with every tool they’ve got - ... Read more ...
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Companies Mitigating Climate Change Reduce Their Cost of Capital - Sustainable Brands (Jul 9) |
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Jul 9 · The climate crisis is now being felt worldwide through more frequent and powerful extreme-weather events. Companies, particularly those in high-emission industries, are major contributors to global carbon emissions - making them key players in the fight against climate change.
A new study shows that businesses that recognize this responsibility and take proactive measures to reduce their carbon footprint, by reducing carbon emissions and transparently sharing their environmental strategies and data, benefit from lower capital costs.
The Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) offers companies a framework to share climate-related financial information, ... Read more ...
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When We Look at the Future of Our Industry, We All Lost in Cannes - Sustainable Brands (Jul 8) |
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Jul 8 · If we are to safeguard advertising’s legitimacy, we must address our image problem. It’s time we apply our collective creativity to solve our (industry’s) biggest challenges.
Cannes Lions is without doubt the most important meeting place and a powerful force for change in the advertising industry. How we use this opportunity matters.
It’s the Davos of advertising; so how do we want to show up in the world? What can we achieve if we act together? If we dare to dream big? If we apply that creative force we love to celebrate? What world could we envision our children to live in?
Two weeks before Cannes, UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that we are “on a ... Read more ...
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Is the US Energy Sector Prepared for Increasingly Powerful Tropical Storms? - Sustainable Brands (Jul 5) |
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Jul 5 · Not only do renewable-energy systems reduce air pollution and carbon emissions - their decentralized nature offers an additional, fail-safe advantage over our conventional power systems.
When Hurricane Ian slammed into parts of Cuba and the west coast of Florida in late September 2022, it left a record-breaking trail of destruction across much of the state; it then regained energy in the Atlantic Ocean and wreaked additional havoc in more the Southeastern US and beyond.
The category 5 super storm was the costliest in Florida history - racking up a bill of over $109 billion - and among the most powerful hurricanes to hit the United States.
Unfortunately, both Ian’s ... Read more ...
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Olive Oil’s Packaging Puzzle: Glass or Plastic? - Sustainable Brands (Jul 1) |
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Jul 1 · Long shipping routes, rising fuel and transportation costs, and concerns about the carbon footprint of food supply chains have driven many companies to reconsider their packaging options for greater efficiency.
Thanks to their rich farming history and cultural preference for this healthy ingredient, North African and South European regions are responsible for about 80 percent of the world's olive oil production. Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Portugal and Morocco are among the largest producers and distributors of this well-known oil that is appreciated globally and is central to the Mediterranean diet - which comprises over 20 diverse national and regional ... Read more ...
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How Innovations in Materials Science Are Improving Office Spaces - Sustainable Brands (Jun 28) |
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Jun 28 · Although some return-to-office policies might still be met with resistance, employees and employers can feel better about returning when buildings are safer and more sustainable - thanks to advancements in materials science.
As the push for return to office continues, corporate tenants are evaluating their real estate options and “increasingly seeking spaces that align with their own ESG goals,” according to global commercial real estate firm JLL.
What does this mean, exactly? In addition to meeting building codes and standards, many tenants are looking for low-carbon properties that are also water and energy efficient. For example, when compared to traditional ... Read more ...
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This Company Upcycles Waste Wood Into a Better Building Material - Sustainable Brands (Jun 28) |
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Jun 28 · Cambium’s thermally modified wood transforms wood waste into a valuable resource - reducing carbon emissions in the built environment, promoting local job training and supporting urban-reforestation initiatives.
Wood is an essential global resource. Used for construction, fuel, paper, furniture, textiles and more, it is renewable, versatile, strong and biodegradable. These benefits lead to the ever-growing demand for it - the UN Food and Agriculture Organization predicts there will be a 37 percent rise in consumption of primary processed-wood products by 2050.
However, utilizing wood at such a scale comes with consequences - including increased deforestation, loss of ... Read more ...
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The Climate Communication Playbook: Establish Trust to Maximize Impact - Sustainable Brands (Jun 27) |
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Jun 27 · The most meaningful climate-communication strategies create an avenue for conversations rooted in hope and action. Embrace this opportunity to educate and build trust by aligning your message with your values and contributing to a positive cultural commentary.
Media exposure is a powerful tactic for amplifying messages and movements across business, politics, culture and academia - proven over millennia to spur action and catalyze dialogue. After all, what’s more impactful than being a relevant part of public conversations?
When it comes to talking about climate initiatives, however, public-facing communications are layered with complexities. To start, the work of those ... Read more ...
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4 Ways for Businesses to Consider the Planet in Every Product - Sustainable Brands (Jun 26) |
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Jun 26 · Sustainable product design is a business imperative. Here, we outline four ways for companies to bridge the intention-action gap and future-proof their business and supply chains through intentional design.
Sustainable product design is a critical lever for helping organizations achieve their sustainability targets that is still overlooked by many: Our research shows that, despite increasing awareness, only 22 percent of respondents in our survey say that sustainability is a key component of their product-design processes. As the need for radical climate action intensifies, organizations need to pay close attention to product design - given that an estimated 80 percent of a ... Read more ...
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Study: Conflicting Motivations Prevent Us from Washing More Sustainably - Sustainable Brands (Jun 26) |
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Jun 26 · A new study examines a critical, overlooked barrier to the sustainability of our laundry habits - the ingrained, psychological mechanisms behind how often we feel compelled to wash our clothes.
Most people today say they would lean towards environmentally friendly lifestyles and behaviors, but not at the expense of being clean. When it comes to our washing habits, the evolutionarily conditioned fear of being perceived as dirty often wins out over the desire to act in an environmentally conscious way.
This is explored in a unique study from Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology - which examines the driving forces behind our laundering behaviors and provides new ... Read more ...
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Why Is Corporate Cleantech Adoption Lagging, and What Can Be Done About It? - Sustainable Brands (Jun 26) |
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Jun 26 · Here are smart tools and strategies organizations can use to overcome three major barriers to cleantech adoption, to drive broader climate action and achieve their sustainability goals.
We’re at a technological inflection point for the climate: Organizations are facing ever-increasing pressure to decarbonize from regulators, investors, customers, employees and communities. And they face significant costs if they fail to act: According to McKinsey, failure to decarbonize could jeopardize up to 20 percent of profit by 2030; stricter environmental regulations will bring financial penalties to non-compliant organizations, and over 70 percent of workers now consider a company’s ... Read more ...
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Employee Survey Uncovers Crisis in Workplace Climate Engagement - Sustainable Brands (Jun 25) |
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Jun 25 · 93% of workers don’t know how to apply their company’s sustainability strategy to their work, 77% are unhappy with employers’ lack of climate action, and 52 percent think their employer is likely to greenwash.
Bosses are under increased scrutiny, according to a new report from a climate and sustainability training organization - revealing that nearly all workers (93 percent) don’t know how their company’s sustainability strategy applies to their day-to-day jobs.
AimHi Earth - a London-based company that empowers entire organizations to be part of climate solutions at work - has discovered that over three-quarters of employees are unhappy about their bosses’ lack of ... Read more ...
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New Partnerships, Processes Aim to Slash Concrete’s Climate Impacts - Sustainable Brands (Jun 24) |
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Jun 24 · UNIDO and the GCCA have partnered to decarbonize the cement and concrete industry, with a strong focus on the Global South; while Cambridge researchers have developed a potentially game-changing cement-recycling process.
The UN’s Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has partnered with the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) to work on decarbonizing the cement and concrete industry, with a strong focus on the Global South.
UNIDO supports its 172 Member States with economic and industrial development, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With its long-standing experience in renewable-energy projects and the application of ... Read more ...
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Free Guide Aims to Help Agencies Eliminate Greenwashing - Sustainable Brands (Jun 21) |
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Jun 21 · Creatives for Climate’s 'Anti-Greenwash Guide’ is designed to help ad and communications agencies comply with the latest greenwashing laws, and principles to guide them away from misleading and unsubstantiated sustainability-related claims.
Global NGO Creatives for Climate has launched a free first-of-its-kind guide, The Anti-Greenwash Guide for Agency Leaders, to help agency leaders respond to the ever-growing regulatory changes against greenwashing at Creatives for Climate’s inaugural Ethical Agency Summit in Amsterdam earlier this month.
Hot on the heels of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ recent call for news and tech media to stop enabling “planetary ... Read more ...
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From Funding to Action: Empowering Farmers Through RCPP - Sustainable Brands (Jun 21) |
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Jun 21 · The USDA's $1.5B investment in the RCPP will advance climate-smart agriculture in the US while expanding the number, reach and variety of conservation programs. Realizing the full potential of this funding requires intentional action and collaboration across the agricultural ecosystem.
In a groundbreaking move, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently allocated $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 to the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) - a threefold increase over its 2023 allocation.
This funding empowers private-sector entities to design custom projects tailored to the producers they serve and financially incentivize conservation ... Read more ...
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New Framework Enables Advertisers to Measure Media Carbon Emissions - Sustainable Brands (Jun 21) |
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Jun 21 · Ad Net Zero has launched the first standardized, industry-wide measurement framework to help advertisers and their partners understand and act effectively to reduce the carbon impact of their media plans.
Ad Net Zero (ANZ) has published the first iteration of its Global Media Sustainability Framework - a series of voluntary industry standards to improve consistent, comparable measurement of greenhouse gas emissions from digital, television, print, audio, outdoor and cinema channels. The new framework has been supported by a collection of the world’s largest advertisers - as well as the world’s 6 largest advertising holding companies, major media owners, tech companies and ... Read more ...
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Pioneering Vermont Law Adds Momentum to Climate-Accountability Fight - Sustainable Brands (Jun 20) |
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Jun 20 · Vermont's Climate Superfund Act is the latest in a growing wave of climate-driven political and legal attempts to hold the fossil-fuel industry accountable for its role in accelerating climate change.
In early May, Vermont lawmakers passed the landmark Climate Superfund Act - which aims to hold big fossil-fuel companies financially accountable for the emissions they produce, as it pertains to climate change.
In short, the Climate Superfund Act directs the state treasurer to work with climate scientists to catalog the damage Vermont has seen due to climate change between 1995 and 2024 - and what it will cost to adapt to a warmer future with more volatile weather - with ... Read more ...
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Report: High Seas Treaty Offers Historic Opportunity for Climate Adaptation - Sustainable Brands (Jun 17) |
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Jun 17 · In a new paper, scientists detail how the soon-to-be-ratified Treaty can help protect marine species as climate change continues to warm the oceans.
As soon as next year, the ocean’s vast international waters could - for the first time - have rules for comprehensive biodiversity protection, once the widely anticipated UN High Seas Treaty secures the 60 national ratifications needed for it to enter into force. As nations convene later this month to determine the institutions and processes needed to implement the Treaty, a coalition of conservation scientists stress in a new paper the importance of also accounting for the specific challenges posed by the climate ... Read more ...
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Fashion Giants Join Forces to Share Cost of Supply Chain Decarbonization - Sustainable Brands (Jun 14) |
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Jun 14 · The Future Supplier Initiative’s collective-financing model aims to address the main barriers preventing many textile factories from reducing resource consumption or implementing renewable-energy solutions.
A group of apparel brands - including Bestseller, Gap Inc, H&M Group and Mango - are collaborating to share the costs, risks and responsibilities of reducing CO2 emissions in the fashion industry's value chain. The goal is to drive the transition to renewable energy and other scalable solutions that will reduce CO2 emissions from the textile factories that manufacture their goods.
To meet global climate goals, apparel brands must cut their supply chain emissions ... Read more ...
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Latest Ban on 'High-Carbon’ Ads Shows Appetite for Clean-Energy Transition - Sustainable Brands (Jun 12) |
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Jun 12 · Edinburgh’s recent ban on ads for fossil fuels and other high-carbon products exemplifies a desire to shift those ad spaces toward cleaner, more viable alternatives and ads that promote low-carbon behaviors.
UN Secretary General António Guterres’ call for a global ban on fossil-fuel advertising earlier this month is just the latest signal of the turning tide when it comes to shutting down polluter greenwashing claims. Many cities and governments are now examining their role in the climate crisis in terms of media influence and intervention, together with those industries that risk being complicit in spreading disinformation if they don’t take action.
Clean Creatives - an ... Read more ...
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WA Ballot Initiative Could Stymy National Efforts to Put a Price on Carbon - Sustainable Brands (Jun 11) |
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Jun 11 · I-2117 is already destabilizing the state’s landmark carbon market - confusing businesses and creating uncertainty about the future of climate policy.
Washington State’s landmark carbon-compliance market is under fire. Initiative 2117 would repeal a 2021 law known as the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) - a measure that established the state’s cap-and-invest program to help reach 95 percent emissions reductions by 2050. A 2023 ballot measure puts the CCA on the chopping block, seeking to abolish the cap-and-invest program and prohibit the state from ever establishing any kind of carbon tax in the future.
Supporters of the CCA maintain that it effectively puts a price on ... Read more ...
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Awareness of Tourism’s Impacts Requires a Rethink of Marketing’s Function - Sustainable Brands (Jun 10) |
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Jun 10 · Tourism marketing has largely centered around traveler desires such as pleasant weather and low prices. Now, it must also consider how travelers’ presence impacts locals, the local economy, wildlife and the natural environment.
Historically, marketing leisure travel has had a fairly straightforward purpose: Use enticing imagery and feel-good language to encourage would-be travelers to visit a certain destination, attraction or accommodation. The quantitative measurement of “heads in beds” was both the goal and sign of success.
But times are changing: Across the tourism industry today, it’s openly acknowledged that travel is responsible for a significant amount of carbon ... Read more ...
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US Plastics Pact Unveils Bold New Roadmap to Transform the Use of Plastics - Sustainable Brands (Jun 10) |
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Jun 10 · Update to 2025 Roadmap carries forward unfinished targets from the original plan and outlines new steps toward circular design, based on insights from 130+ US Plastic Pact Activators.
Today, the US Plastics Pact released its latest strategic plan to help companies change how they design, use and reuse plastics in their packaging. Roadmap 2.0 is an actionable plan designed to transform the use of plastics - focusing on practical steps to create a circular economy where plastic packaging is reused, recycled, composted and kept within the economy, instead of becoming waste.
The comprehensive, new plan builds on the successes and lessons learned from the initial Roadmap to ... Read more ...
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Efforts to Scale Regenerative Ag Bearing Fruit Around the World - Sustainable Brands (Jun 7) |
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Jun 7 · This week in regenerative-ag news, Heineken, innocent Drinks and Rainforest Alliance all revealed progress in scaling practices that increase resilience in food and beverage supply chains around the world.
Today, global brewer Heineken announced its first harvest of barley from a large-scale regenerative-agriculture model - thanks to its work with French cooperative-farming and food-processing group Vivescia and its Transitions program, along with Vivescia’s malt subsidiary, Malteurop. The collaboration focuses on an outcome-based farming approach that aims to protect and improve soil health, biodiversity, climate and water resources while supporting farming business development. Read more ...
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Consumers, Brewers Taking a Closer Look at Beer’s Environmental Impact - Sustainable Brands (Jun 6) |
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Jun 6 · As Deschutes and Patagonia Provisions partner on beers made from regenerative grain, nearly 50% of beer lovers around the world say they will pay more for a sustainable brew.
Maintaining their signature flavor and quality is a top priority for brewers. However, as a resource-intensive process, brewers are challenged with improving its impact on the environment - and consumers are demanding brewers prioritize sustainability more than ever.
So finds a comprehensive global survey of 3,500 beer drinkers across seven countries, conducted by Pall Corporation - a a global supplier of filtration, separations and purification solutions - to understand their current perceptions ... Read more ...
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Pernod Ricard Partnership Expands Circular Spirits Distribution - Sustainable Brands (Jun 5) |
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Jun 5 · The spirits giant has expanded its partnership with ecoSPIRITS, whose closed-loop packaging system reduces waste and emissions from the production and transportation of bottled beverages.
As innovation around circular beverage packaging - and reusable packaging models, in particular - continues to grow, we’re seeing the emergence of everything from premium wine in kegs and incentives to use reusable mugs at Starbucks here in the US to Coca-Cola brands in returnable bottles in Latin America and water in returnable bottles in Asia.
Now, Pernod Ricard has expanded its effort on this front - the spirits giant recently entered into a five-year, global licensing agreement to ... Read more ...
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